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Vietnam embassy to be set up in Putrajaya

THE Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will now have an address in Putrajaya with the purchase of a 0.69ha (1.7 acre) plot of embassy land in Precinct 15.

Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) president Tan Sri Aseh Che Mat handed the document of title to Vietnamese ambassador to Malaysia Prof Nguyen Hong Thao to seal the sale of the plot in a brief ceremony at the PPj Complex recently.

The plot will house a new Chancery and official residence of the Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and is seen as a step forward to a good bilateral relationship between the two governments.

According to Aseh, to-date, 61 embassy plots have been purchased by 25 foreign diplomatic missions while five other missions are currently in negotiations for purchase of plots, leaving only 15 lots available for sale.

“Vietnam is one of the first Asean countries to set up their embassy in Putrajaya and we look forward to hosting programmes with them here,” he said.

He added that the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq had taken the lead in constructing their office and official residence which was ready for occupation.

“We hope other embassies will follow their footstep and start building their embassies here,” he said.

Aseh said other purchasers were in planning or negotiation stages with their respective building consultants and contractors.

Besides Precinct 15, embassy lots developed by PPj in Precinct 4 and under planning stage in Precinct 5 offer ample choices for the diplomatic community to plan their relocation to Putrajaya.

All three diplomatic areas offer suitable options for the diplomatic communities to plan their relocations from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya.

“Putrajaya offers a strategic place for an embassy as it is close to the ministry’s offices and also the airports,” said Aseh.